Tube compressor



R. C. ANGELL TUBE COMPRESSOR April 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1950 Ihwentor 3056/15 (11412 7015,

April 6, 1954 R. c. ANGELL 2,674,435

TUBE COMPRESSOR Filed March 50, 1950 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i ZSnnentor Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITED LSIAT T FiIfCE TUBE COMPRESSOR Robert CxAngcll; Prince Bay, N.. .Y.,. assignoruto The. S; S. iliilinite Dental Manufa'cturingfiompany,-a corporation of Pennsylvania Application MarciiBli, 1950, SerialNo. 152;909

1. 1; Claim. 1

r.Mylinvention relates to that type of valves that .are' generallyknown: as pinch 'valves;= wherein= a yielding. fluid conveyor'tube is collapsed toch'oke pits passageway and thereby temporarily: prevent passage of fiuid therethrough.

. The: principal. object of; my invention is to provide the valve having: such fluid conveyor tube with anon-yieldingidcket for supporting its yielding walls. againstinternal pressure andhav- .ing a cavity limiting lateral: expansion of said tube at its region of collapse.

. Other objects ;.of my. invention are i to' provide said pinch; valve: with a'vspring: actuated. plunger extendedthroughsaidjacket.andsnormally'maintaining said yielding conveyor .tubeinitsicollapsed or closed: condition; and to provide a. plunger actuating. means comprising. a solenoid connected to withdraw said plunger from its itube collapsing action, thereby to opensaid valve. for the'free passage. of fiuid. thEIBthIOUgh': when' energized.

Further. objects. ofinyinvention are to provide a valve-jacket composed: ofzreadilyseparable sections .whereby :the. removal and replacement :of the fluid conveying tubing -may.be=facilitated.

Another object of my invention is to provide said fluid conveyor-with tube attaching terminal nipples havingcircular'fianges which register with similarlycspaced@circular.grooves in the bore of said jacket to insure against longitudinal displacement of the replaceable valve .tube.

The form of my invention as hereinaftermore definitely specified, comprehends. a pinch .valve having a fluid conveyor'tube preferably composed of' rubber or other readily compressiblematerial which is 'snugly'confined withinpthe cylindrical 'bore of a readily assembled'splitjacketcomprising the-valve casing; and" having an enlarged pocket within which "said fluid conveyor may be distorted laterally when compressed by a reciprocatory spring pressed plunger which is arranged to normally maintain said valve closed, but which may be withdrawn to open said valve by actuation of a suitably connected solenoid.

My invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a solenoid pinch valve assembly constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the valve assembly shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan vieW of the valve structure per se exclusive of the solenoid; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view of the valve structure shown in Fig. 1 taken on the line 4-4 in said figure; Fig 5 is a vertical longitudinal plan view of. the upper jacket plate showing the 1 longitudinal -recess 'ther ein' and the valve-plug guideway; Fig. 7-is a-transverse verticaksectional view corresponding-to :theplane of sectionin Fig. 4 of the valve casing sections with -the valve plug depressing the flexible tubular passageway in closed position Fig. 3-is a perspective view of the flexible tubeforming the passageway through the valve casing Figi 9 is. a perspectiveview 1 of the valve-plug shown in Figs: 4 ,5 and '7; .andFig. 10

' is a perspective view of-one of the terminal nipples of the flexible tube.

In said figuresthe valve body l-isprovided with the relatively opposed valve-casingsections 2 and 3 which are joinedwith-said valve body I by the screws 5,13, l and ii :to' form an integral valve structurepand which are respectively provided with relativelyregistrableelongated complementary recesses 9 and l0 substantiallyconforming to a liner conveyor comprising: a length of-fiexible tubing I I havingthe terminalnipples fl 2 and I3 for the convenient connection of fluidwconveying conduits which maycons'titute the fiuid conveying line to becontrolled by said valve.

Included in' the bore necessarily afforded by saidcomplementary recesses 9 and ill-is atpocket .I 5 provided for :the local expansion or". distortion of said tubing 1 I; and. a guideway aperture 1 'l for the convenient: axial reciprocation of .the valveplug '1 9-:which1when thrust inwardly effects .col-

lapse of the liner tubing II, as shownrin Fig; 7,

to close the. 1 passageway .20 1. extending l therethrough by choking.

The valve-plug I9 is normally maintained in its closed position, as shown in Fig. 7, by the plunger type valve-stem 2|, which, as shown in Fig. 4, is mounted to be moved axially in the bushing 22 and is provided with the collar 23 engaged thereon by the pin 25 and arranged to be forced against said valve-plug l9 by the expansion of the valve actuating spring 26 which, as illustrated in Fig. 4, is disposed in the recess 29 in the valve body I but which in said figure is shown withdrawn and temporarily maintained restrained from its valve closing action by means to be hereinafter described.

The nipples l2 and [3 are each provided with the end flanges 30 and 3| to afiord a secure attachment to the valve tubing II and to the connecting conduits that may be attached thereto, and have the enlarged circular medial region 32 affording a shoulder 33 against which the end of an attached conduit may abut and the circular flange 35 which may be received in the semicircular grooves 36 and 31 in the valve casing section 2 and the complementary semi-circular grooves 38 and 39 in the valve casing section 3 to insure against axial displacement of said flexible tubing II, which provides a leak-proof fluid conveyor for the valve either when closed or open.

The valve body I may be conveniently supported, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by the bracket 42 which, as illustrated, may be attached by the screws 45, 46 and 41, to a panel or wall 49, said bracket being formed to provide the forwardly projected vertically disposed plane region 59 to which the valve body I may be secured by the screws and 52, and to provide the inwardly recessed plane region 53 to which a valve actuating device such as a solenoid 54 may be secured in vertically adjustable relation by the screws 55, 56, 51 and 58, the upper portion of said bracket 42 being extended forwardly to provide a horizontal flange 59.

The solenoid frame 60 is provided with the laterally disposed wings 8| and 62 respectively provided at their end regions with open ended slots, the wing 6| having the slots 65 and 68 through which the screws 55 and 56 extend and the wing 62 having the slots 69 and through which the screws 51 and 58 extend.

The solenoid frame 60 is held in proper adj ustment by the set-screw H which may be held in adjusted position by the pinch collar 12 engaged thereon by the set-screw 13.

The solenoid includes the field winding having the terminals 16 and TI and the armature '59 which is connected by the link 80 with the bifurcated upper end 8| of the valve-stem 21 by means of the pins 82 and 83, it being obvious that when said solenoid is energized the armature 19 will draw the valve-stem upwardly in opposition to the spring 26 and thereby release the valve-plug l9 and thereby permit the fluid to pass through the flexible tube II.

My invention is advantageous in that it provides a valve structure that is designed to control the flow of fluid under pressure and to insure against leakage in either its open or closed posiincludes a solenoid connected to efiect withdrawal of the valve-stem and the consequent release of the valve-plug from its spring-pressed tube collapsing action, it is here noted that compressed air or other fluid actuated devices may be employed to produce the desired motion.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a pinch valve, a collapsible fluid-conveying tube, a jacket formed of members having longitudinal grooves, said members abutting along surfaces extending along the tube at each side thereof so that the longitudinal grooves provide a longitudinal recess for receiving and confining the tube, means for holding said members around the tube, said tube having peripheral enlargements near its ends and said members having first peripheral inside grooves for closely receiving the said tube enlargements for preventing relative axial movements of the tube and members, terminal nipples engaged in the ends of the tube with their inner ends located at said tube enlargements, said nipples also having outer peripheral flanges and said members having second peripheral inside grooves for receiving the flanges for preventing relative axial movement of the nipples and members, said jacket having an aperture at a transverse plane between said first peripheral grooves, and a valve plug movable in said aperture and effective upon inward movement to compress the tube against the opposite wall of the recess and cause a restricted area of the same to be flattened until its inner wall surface is moved to flow-choking position and therewith distorted laterally relative to the direction of movement of the valve plug, said members having lateral enlargements of the recess at said transverse plane for receiving the laterally distorted parts of the tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

